BY REV. R. H. SMITH,
AUTHOR OF EXPOSITIONS OF THE CARTOONS OF RAPHAEL," "STUDIES FROM THE GREAT
MASTERS," "SUNDAY HALF HOURS," ETC.

NEW EDITION MAKING 14,000 COPIES.

%I n on:
JAMES SANGSTER & CO.,
PATERNOSTER ROW.

LONDON

PRINTED BY PARDON AND SONS,

WINE OFFICE COURT, FLEET S REET, .C,

1: I' ,
I"

(TTJ:..i ~]~~U

94t J)'rtf"

ESS attention,
possibly, has
been given to
our little ones,
at our family
altars, than
they deserve.

These Children's Services are offered
as aids to Divine Worship in homes
where there are children. They have
been compiled under the conviction that
Family Prayer, in such homes, should
be a child's service. They are published
at the request of many who have felt
the difficulty of conducting daily worship
where the majority of the worshippers
are young.

--I.

I; ua'''

iv CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

The Scripture Readings have been carefully selected, alter-
nately, from the Old and New Testaments, in chronological
order; and these Scripture Readings are interspersed with
others specially adapted to various times and seasons. The
authorized version is followed, except where it is found to need
revision; and in the revision, special regard has been paid to the
latest results of biblical study. Obsolete, and unusual words
and phrases, have been rendered by synonymous terms, with
which children are familiar.

The subject of the Scripture Reading has determined the
choice of a familiar hymn ; and it is again taken as the topic of
the prayer. Each service thus becomes a unity; and by this
method it may be possible to avoid perfunctoriness and
monotony.

The various services are indexed, so that any service, required
for a particular occasion, may be readily found.

The illustrations can be easily expounded, and their exposition
may be found to serve as an attraction to the exposition of the
various Scriptures.

ND there were brought unto Him little children,
that He should put His hands on them, and pray,,
And the disciples rebuked them.
But Jesus said,-

"SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN,
AND FORBID THEM NOT,
To COME UNTO ME:
FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU,
WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT RECEIVE THE
KINGDOM OF GOD AS A LITTLE CHILD,
HE SHALL NOT ENTER THEREIN,'

And He took them up in His arms, put His harids
upon them, and blessed them.

THE CREATION

I. lie reatxon.

SING the almighty power of God,
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
A nd built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained
The sun to rule the day :
The moon shines full at His command,
A nd all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord
That filled the earth withfood;
He formed the creatures with Hzs word,
And then pronounced them good.

(A:

- -3 -----~I~----

P 2

4 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed.
Where'er I turn my eye !
If I survey the ground I tread,
Or gaze upon the sky !

_.--- f --- ----- ~.=p-2_:-

GEN. i. 1-26.
N., the beginning God made the earth and the
sky out of nothing. And it was dark. And God
said, "Let there be light:" and there was light.
And God saw the light that it was good; and
SGod divided the light from the darkness. And
God called the light Day, and the darkness He
called Night. And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
And God said, "Let there be the open air in
the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters
ffrom the waters." And God made the open air, and divided
-the waters which were under the open air from the waters which
,were above the open air; and it was so. And God called the
:open air Sky. And the evening and the morning were the
-second day.

IHE CRiEATION 5

And God said, "Let the waters under the Sky be gathered
together unto one place, and let the dry land appear :" and it
was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering
together of the waters called He Seas ; and God saw that it was
good. And God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,
whose seed is in itself upon the earth :" and it was so. And the
earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind,
and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the
morning were the third day.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the Sky, to divide the
Day from the Night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons,
and for days, and years; and let them be for lights in the Sky
to give light upon the earth:" and it was so. And God made
two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser
light to rule the night. He made the stars also. And God set
them in the Sky to give light upon the earth, and to rule over
the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the
darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening
and the morning were the fourth day.

6 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

And God said, "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the
moving creature that hath life, and birds that may fly above the
earth in the open air." And God created great sea monsters.

And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and
fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply in the earth."
And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature
after his kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth
after his kind:" and it was so. And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and everything that creepeth upon the
earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all
the earth, and over every creeping thing upon the earth."

GOD, who hast again sent away the darkness, and
last again awoke us by Thy light shining through
our windows, we kneel together again and pray to
\ Thee. Thou hast made all things. Thou hast
made us. Thou hast made us and all dependent
upon Thee; and we come and pray.
S We know that Thou canst do all things, for
Thou hast made out of nothing the heavens over
our head, and the ground under our feet. The sun
and the moon and the stars, the birds and the
flowers, are all the work of Thy hand.
Thou dost take care of all that Thou hast made. The foxes
have holes, and the birds have nests. The grass grows for the
cattle, and we sow our fields, and plant our gardens, and we
reap, because Thou dost bring forth fruit out of the ground.
Let us trust in Thee, let us trust in Christ. Let none of our
hearts be troubled. Looking at what Thou hast done, and at
what Thou art doing, may we all be quiet. Thou hast promised
to take care of us; may we believe Thy word.
Forgive us that we so often fear and fret. Forgive us that we
forget what Thou hast said, and what Thou hast done. Forgive
us that we are so selfish, as well as frightened. We try to take
care of ourselves, as if Thou hadst left us to do so-as if Thou
hadst forsaken us. Oh! take away our unbelief-shed abroad
Thy love in our hearts-and then we shall be happy, living in
Thee, and living for others.

CHILDREN'S S ER VICES,

Thou canst take our hearts, and make them anew. Thou
zanst send away the darkness from our minds. Thou canst fill
our souls with life and light. Listening to Thy voice, looking
into Thy face, we long to be like to Thee. Create within us a
clean heart, and renew within us a right spirit.
All the day long may we remember'the night cometh. We
begin the day with Thee, keep with us, and let us keep with
Thee. Come again and again, during the day, to us, and help;
us to come, again and again, to Thee. Let the day be begun,.
and continued, and ended in Thee.
O God, Thou art the God of all, Thou dost care for all. 0
God, the Lord of heaven and earth, send Thy Holy Spirit into
all hearts, that all may know and believe Thy love, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever.

Throughout the world Thy churches join
To call on Thee their Head,
Brightness of Majesty Divine,
Who every power hast made.

Among their number, Lord, we love
To sing Thy precious blood.
Reign here, and in the worlds above,
Thou holy Lamb of God!

1!

THE ANGEL'S MESSAGE. xx

^m.Cipimrk Aabing.
r_ LUKE i. 5-23.

'i' HERE was in the time of Herod, the king of Judma,
a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of
S Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elisabeth. They were both
righteous before God, walking in all the commands
and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they
had never had a child.
And it came to pass, while he served as priest before God in
the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest-

c

~-..

. I' 1 ,,

12 CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

hood, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple
of the Lord.
And the whole multitude of the people were praying without
at the hour of the incense-burning.
And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, standing
on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias
saw, he was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said
unto him:-

"Be not afraid, Zacharias;
Because thy prayer has been heard.
And thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son;
And thou shalt call his name John.
He. will be to thee a source of joy and gladness,
And many will rejoice at his birth.
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord,
And must drink neither wine nor strong drink ;
And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
Even from the very first.
And many of the sons of Israel will he turn to the Lord their
God.
And he will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of
Elijah.
To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children;
And by the wisdom of the righteous
To render the disobedient a people prepared for the Lord."

And Zacharias said unto the angel, "Whereby shall I know
this ? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
And the angel, answering, said unto him:-

THE ANGEL'S MESSAGE. 13

"I am Gabriel, that stand in the sight of God;
And was sent to speak unto thee,
And to show thee these glad tidings.
And, behold, thou shalt be dumb,
And unable to speak,
Until the day that these things come to pass;
Because thou believedst not my words,
Which will be fulfilled in their season."

And the people were waiting for Zacharias, wondering at his
staying in the temple. And when he came out he could not
speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in
the temple. And he was making signs to them, and remained
speechless.
And it came to pass, when the days of his public service were
ended, he went away to his own house.
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God
to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a maiden espoused
to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and
the maiden's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her
and said:-

"Hail, highly favoured, the Lord is with thee;
Blessed art thou among women."
And she was troubled at his saying, and doubted what this
salutation might be. And the angel said unto her:-
"Be not afraid, Mary;
For thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou wilt have a son,
And shalt call His name JESUS.

14 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

.... ; :.-:.- -... ..- ___ -- -- S ,

Al.

The Holy Spirit will come upon thee,
And the power of the Highest will overshadow thee:
I! -- -----_=--- .:---"------------"----------'--- ------'-'

Therefore the holy offspring wll be call ed the Son of God.
And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth is to have a son'

For with God nothing is impossible."

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the houseandmaid of the Lord eve;
be it done unto me according to thy saying." And the angel
departed from her.:-
And the power of the Highest will overshadow thee
Therefore the holy offspring will be called the Son of God.
And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth is to have a son Di
For with God nothing is impossible."

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid ofa the Lord;
be it done unto me according to thy saying." And the angel
departed from her,

'tt l ai) r.

I TERNAL and Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
', who in olden time spake to the fathers by the
Sprophets, reminding them of Thy purpose of mercy,
S-- and who, at last, sent the good tidings of the
coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by
the mouth of the angel, Thou art love.
Many, before Christ came, saw His day, and in
the midst of their sin and sorrow believed in Him,
and died in faith. Many were waiting -for His
coming, and as they heard of it, they blessed Thee
\ for visiting and saving them.
Thou hast spoken unto us. We have heard from our child-
hood of Thy love to us and to all. We would know and believe
the love that Thou hast to us, for Thou hast given Thine only
Son, that whosoever believes on Him might not perish, but
might live for ever.
We read and we hear of Thee, and of Jesus Christ our
Saviour, but we forget. There are times when we remember,
and we try to put away our good thoughts. We know that we
are doing wrong, but still we do it. And there are times when
we wish that we were better. We recollect what we have read,
and what we have heard, and we should like to do those things
that we know to be right. 0, our Father, Thou knowest all
things, Thou knowest that we would love Thee !
And Thou wilt never leave us to ourselves, nor to our forget-
fulness, nor to our weakness. Thou dost not intend that we
shall be taught merely by our parents. Thou wilt teach us

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

Thyself, for Thou art our Father. We are not to be left to the
weakness of our own strength; we are to receive Thy power,
and Thou wilt give Thy good Spirit to us.
O God, our God, Thou art very good; for Thou art ready
and willing to do for each and all of us more than any of us can
ask or think.
Our wishes turn into prayers, and our prayers will be answered.
Our parents are always ready to give us what we need, and
Thou, our heavenly Father, wilt much more give Thy gifts.
We ask that we may receive, we seek that we may find, we
knock that the door may be opened to us. For every one that
asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to those who
knock the door opens. Grant unto us, then, that being saved
from ourselves, and from all the enemies of our souls, we may
serve Thee without- fear, in holiness and righteousness before
Thee, all the days of our life.
All, like sheep, have gone astray, but Christ has come to seek
and to save all. 0 Thou, who spake in olden time to the fathers
by the prophets, and art speaking to all in these times by Thy
Son, let the whole world see the exceeding riches of Thy mercy.
in Thy kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. A men.

THE DAILY Y TA SK.

3 4te Pail gash.
OD entrusts to all
Talents few or many ;
None so young and small,
That they have not any.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

Every little mite,
Every little measure,
Helps to spread the light,
Helps to swell the treasure.

Little drops of rain
Bring the springing flowers ;
And I may attain
Much by little powers.

God will surely ask,
Ere I enter heaven,
Have I done the task
Which to me was given.

PROVERBS.

EAR, ye children, the instruction of a father,
And attend to know understanding.
For I give you good doctrine;
Forsake ye not my law.
For I was my father's son,
Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee:
Love her, and she shall keep thee.
Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom;
And with all thy getting get understanding.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee:
She shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace:
A crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
Hear, 0 my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of thy life shall be many.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom;
I have led thee in right paths.
When thou goest thy steps shall not be straitened;
And when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Enter not into the path of the wicked,
And go not in the way of evil men;

Avoid it, pass not by it,
Turn from it, and pass away.
The way of the wicked is as darkness:
They know not at what they stumble.

'Sr

CHILDREN'S SER VICbkS

Doth not wisdom cry ?
And understanding put forth her voice ?
She standeth in che top of high places,
By the way in the places of the paths.
She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the coming in at the doors.
Unto you, 0 men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
0 ye simple, understand wisdom:
And ye foolish, be ye of an understanding heart.
Hear, for I will speak of excellent things.
They are all plain to him that understandeth,
And right to those who find knowledge.
Receive my instruction, and not silver;
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies;
And all the things that may be desired are not to
to it.

be compared

Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
Consider her ways, and be wise:
Who, having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer,

THE DAILY Y TASR. I

And gathereth her food in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, 0 Sluggard ?
When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep ?

91---/

UR Father, who hast made each of us for some end,
and sent all of us for some purpose into this world,
we ask that we may know why we were born.
We live to learn that Thou hast made nothing
and no one in vain. The blade of grass lives its
day, and answers its end. The birds of the air
sing to Thee. And out of the mouths of babes
S and sucklings Thou dost ordain praise.
We rejoice in our birth. We begin our days
with gladness. Our parents are thankful that we
are in their homes. All things seem to be working
together for our good.
We hear of Thee, that Thou art ever working. We too would
do something. Speak to us, and tell us from the first what it is
that Thou wouldst have us to do ? We would waste no time.
And what we have to do we would do it with our might.
Guide us by Thy word. Say to us, "This is the way, walk
ye in it." Hold up our goings in Thy path, that our footsteps

22 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

slip not. Help us in our work. Go with us where we go.
Abide with us. Be at our right hand. Work with us, and we
shall not work in vain, and labour for nothing.
Thou hast given to us time and power to prepare for the day
when we shall have to leave our father's house; may we be
ready when that day comes. Strengthen us to resist all evil.
Save us from idleness, disobedience, and discontent. Help us
to obey our parents, to submit to our teachers, and to do those
things that are just and right in Thy sight.
Let us not be deceived to think that we shall reap if we do
not sow. Let us not be impatient or doubtful. Looking on the
fields where men have worked, and seeing them in due season
white unto harvest, may we understand and believe that we too
shall reap if we faint not.
Upon us and upon all, and upon the work of all our hands,
let there be resting Thy blessing; that blessing that maketh
rich, and addeth no sorrow thereto.
All things are of Thee, and for Thee. Whatever we do, let us
do all things for Thy glory. We would give Thee the best
affections of our hearts, the best praises of our lips, and the best
services of our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation,
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. Amen

If

-1.~

Ic-I'

'- I~ A(~-L-I-

j I ii, /

UT/'

THE HOLIDAYS.

BIW^BtBKwa^PBaBwSTOWi'W^^Wffi^^Bw^S^^^^

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

"GOD IS GOOD TO ALL."
: ) OD reigns in glory, and on high
Sits on His throne of majesty ;
S Yet from that glorious throne He bends,
And even to a child attends.
. ," '-'-.
SAsleep, awake, by night, by day,
When at my lessons, or my play ;
Although the Lord I cannot see,
\ His eye is always fixed on me.

He hears me when I pray or praise,
He also ponders all my ways:
May I so live as God approves,
Mi3ay I be one whom `esns loves.

God never will forsake His own,
He will noz leave me all alone;
When not another friend is near,
May I remember God Is HERE.

0 may I try to please Him still,
To know, and love, and do His will;
Then will my joy and gladness be,
That God's own eye is fixed on me.

THE HOLIDAY YS.

^cripture cabinsng .
PSALM Ciii.

LESS the Lord, 0 my soul,
and all that is within me bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, 0 my soul,
and forget not all His benefits;
Who forgiveth all thy sin,
and health all thy diseases;
Who saveth thy life from destruction,
and crowneth thee with mercy and lovingkind-
ness;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things,
making thee young and strong as an eagle.

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy,
long-suffering, and of great goodness.
He will not always be chiding,
neither keepeth He His anger for ever.

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

He hath not dealt with us after our sins,
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For look how high the heaven is above the earth,
so great is His mercy towards those who fear Him.
Look how wide also the east is from the west,
so far hath He set our sins from us:
Like as a father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth those who fear Him.

For He knoweth of what we are made,
He remembereth that we are but dust.
The days of man are but as grass,
he flourishes as a flower of the field;
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;
and the place of it shall know it no more:
But the mercy of the Lord is for ever and ever
upon those who fear Him;
And His righteousness unto children's children
to such as keep His covenant,
and to those who remember His commandments to do then

SLL Thy works praise Thee, 0 our God. Thou
art good, and doest good to all, and Thy tender
mercies are over all Thy works. It is a good thing
to give thanks unto Thee, 0 Lord, and to sing
praises unto Thy name, 0 Most High; to show
forth Thy loving-kindness in the morning, and Thy
faithfulness every night.
Thou hast made us glad. Every good and
perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from
Thee, the Father of Light, who changes not.
Thou dost open Thy hand, and Thou dost satisfy
the want of every living thing.
Thou hast taken us out and brought us home in safety. Thou
hast watched over us, and kept us from harm. Night after
night we have laid ourselves down and slept. Morning after
morning we have awoke, for Thou hast made us to dwell in
safety. Weeks and months have passed away, and we return
to those to whom Thou hast given us. We are happy in Thy
love. We are happy in their love.
Thou hast done great things for us, of which we are glad.
How little have we done for Thee! How often we have
forgotten Thee! We would be led by Thy goodness to re-
pentance. We pray against ourselves. We would cease to do
evil, and learn to do well. We are Thy children, and we would
be like Thee. Let old things pass away, let all things become
new. Make us good. Let us love Thee, our Father, with all

28 CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength. Let
us love each other. Let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but
in deed and in truth.
Thou hast made us glad, that we may make others happy.
Thou hast done great things for us, that we may do something
for those around us. We have bread enough and to spare; let
us think of those that are perishing with hunger. Thou hast
filled our mouths with good things; let us take portions to some
for whom nothing has been prepared.
We come to stay at home; do Thou stay with us, and let us
stay with Thee. In the midst of our joy and gladness let us
never forget Thee. In Thy presence is life, and at Thy right
hand there are pleasures for evermore. We would begin, and
continue, and end these days in Thy fear.
We are all at school in this world, let us all learn the lessons
Thou wouldst teach us. Let us be looking forward to coming
home to Thee. Thou hast opened the kingdom of heaven to all
believers. We would all believe in Thee, and in Jesus Christ
whom Thou hast sent; so that at last we may be together with
Thee, in endless joy, through our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. Amen.

L I

TH C

THE CIT- OF DAVID

THR CITY OF DAVID.

OV .. I& 8 ~ ~ B~~

Y`""~*r~~~"~~~

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

dmristmas.
HILE shepherds watched their flocks by night,
A ll seated on the ground,
The angel of the LORD came down,
And glory shone around.
"Fear not," he said (for mighty dread
Had seiz'd their troubled mind),
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you, and all mankind.
To you in David's town, this day
Is born, of David's line,
A SAVIOUR, who is CHRIST the LORD,
And this shall be your sign:
The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swaddling clothes,
And in a manger laid."
Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising GOD; and thus
Address'd their joyful song:
"All glory be to GOD on high,
And on the earth be peace .
Goodwill henceforth from heaven to men
Begin and never cease Amen.

6 C` .cripfure Haabinu
LUKE ii. 1-20.
SND it came to pass in those days that a decree
l went forth from Caesar Augustus that all Judaea
Should enrol themselves. (The assessment itself
first took effect when Cyrenius was governor of
,' Syria.) And they all went to be enrolled, each
into his own city. And Joseph also went up from
S Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea,
into the city of David, which is called Bethlehem
(because he was of the house and lineage of David),
to be enrolled with Mary. And so it was, that
while they were there, her child was born. And she wrapped
Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in the stable, because
there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds staying out in the fields in that
country, and keeping watch by night over their flock. And lo,
an angel of the Lord came unto them, and the glory of the Lord
shone around them; and they were afraid with great fear. And
the angel said unto them:-

"Fear not; for lo, I bring you good tidings,
A great joy, which will be upon all the people.

For unto you is born this day, in the city of David,
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

And this will be the sign unto you:
Ye will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a
stable."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host, praising God, and saying:-

"Glory be to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill among men."

- ~ .- -t
L'-:- .-

And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them
into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go
even unto Bethlehem, and let us see this saying which is come
to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."
And they went with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph,
and the babe lying in the stable. And when they had seen it,

THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.

34 CHILDREN'S SE RVICES

they made known the saying which was told them concerning
this child. And all who heard wondered at the things which
had been told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for
all the things they heard and saw, as it had been told unto
them.

SOLY and merciful God, Thou didst give Thy Son
to be made in all things like unto us-to be born a
babe, and to be the child of a poor woman. We
bless and praise Thee for giving Thy Son. We
bless and praise our Saviour for giving Himself.
0O Lord, what is man, that Thou art mindful of
him ? and the children of men, that Thou shouldst
visit them ? What are we, and what is our father's
S house, that we should be the heirs of God, and
joint heirs with Christ ? We are not worthy of the
i least of all Thy mercies, and Thou hast given to
us Thy Son, and with Him Thou wilt freely give us all things.
Let Thy love thaw our cold hearts. Break the ice. Let Thy
divine fire melt our feelings towards Thee-towards each other
-towards all. We perish with cold. We cannot warm our-
selves into love to Thee, nor into love to our neighbour. Kindle
within us thoughts of Christ. Let Thy good Spirit take of the
things of Jesus, and show them to us. We try to think and feel
of ourselves-to light the fire on the altar of our hearts, and we
try in vain. Take a coal from Thy altar, and the fire will be
ever burning, and never go out.
Our Saviour has become like us; we would become like Him.

CI A'IS7':A S.

Let the same mind be in us which was in Christ Jesus. We
would not think of ourselves, but we would think of Thee. We
would not look on our own things, but we would all of us look
on the things of others. We would make ourselves of no repu-
tation, and take upon us the form of servants, and be made n1
the likeness of Christ. We would humble ourselves, and become
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, that, suffering
with Christ, we may be glorified with Him.
Without Christ there can be no Christmas. He comes again,
and knocks at our door, and we would open the door and beg
Him to stay with us. We would do His will. We would make
up our quarrels. We would forgive those who have offended us.
We would make peace between those who have disagreed. We
would pray that in every land there may be peace, and amongst
all classes, goodwill to men.
Thou art the God and Father of all, and dost .love all; let all
love Thee, and, loving Thee, love their brother also. So shall
there be glory to Thee in the highest, and Thine angels shall
rejoice over the whole world repenting their selfishness and
strife, and returning to Thee through our Lord and Swviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. A mler,

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

6. i t fall.

LMIGHTY God, Thy piercing eye
Strikes through the shades of niglt,
A nd our most secret actions lie
A ll open to Thy sight.
There's not a sin that we commit,
Nor wicked word we say,
But in Thy dreadful book 'tis writ
Against the judgment-day.
A nd must the crimes that I have done
Be read and published there,
Be all exposed before the sun,
While men and angels hear ?

THE FAL L. 3

Lord! at Thy foot ashamed I lie,
Upward I dare not look;
Pardon my sins before I die,
A nd blot them from Thy book !
Remember all the dying pains
That my Redeemer felt,
A nd let His Blood wash out inm stains,
A nd answer for my guilt

S ._1i ,- it .t ca b

GENESIS ii. 3.
^jpa HE Lord God said, "It is not good that the man
should be alone; I will make him a help meet for
him." And the Lord God caused a sleep to fall
upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of
his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place; and
Sthe Lord God formed the rib which He had taken
from the man into a woman, and brought her to
the man.
The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, east-
ward, and there He placed Adam and his wife,
Eve, to till it and to guard it. And the Lord God had caused
to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasant to the

38 cIL.CI DRA'EN S SER' VICES.

sight and good for food. In the midst of the garden were the
tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
And God commanded Adan, saying, "Of every tree of the
garden thou mayst freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil thou shalt not eat; for on the day thou eatest
thereof thou must surely die."

,; .. - ....^.

And the serpent, which was more cunning than any other
beast of the field which the Lord God had made, tempted the
woman, so that she took of the fruit of the tree of knowledge,
and did eat. She gave also to her husband, and he did eat.
And they heard the voice of God in the garden, and Adam
and his wife hid themselves amongst the trees of the garden
from the presence of the Lord. And the Lord God called unto
Adam, and said unto him, "Where art thou?". He said, "I
heard Thy voice in the garden, I was afraid, and hid myself."
Then God said, "Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I
commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?" And Adam
answered, "The woman whom Thou gavest me to be with me
gave me of the tree, and I did eat."
Then said the Lord God to the woman, "What is this that
thou hast done?" And the woman said, "The serpent tempted
me, and I did eat."

THE FALL.

The Lord God then said to the serpent, Because thou hast
done this, be thou cursed above all animals; upon thy belly
shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy offspring and her offspring; it shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise its heel."
To the woman He said, "Thou shalt suffer much pain, and
thy husband shall rule over thee."
And unto Adam He said, "Because thou hast listened unto

''i' '
7,7-1-7 j

the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, therefore the
earth shall henceforth bring forth to thee thorns and thistles,
and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy
face shalt thou eat bread, till thou returnest unto the ground,
out of which thou wast taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust
shalt thou return."
So the Lord drove Adam and his wife out of the garden of
Eden, that they might till the ground; and at the east of the
garden He placed the cherubim and the flaming sword, which
turneth every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

CHILD]RENS SER VICES.

OST holy and most merciful God, we are amongst
those who have fallen. Our lives and our hearts
Witness against us. We listen to the voice of the
,-3 tempter. We wish to have our own way. And
our way is not Thy way, nor is our will Thy will.
/ We are not contented with what Thou hast given
S us, and we long for things that Thou hast forbidden
us to touch.
We have done the things which we ought not to
have done, and we have not done the things which
we should have done. Our sins find us out. We
excuse ourselves, and we blame others, but we cannot hide our
sins from ourselves. The gloom of guilt hangs about our souls,
and our faces fall from very shame.
And Thou knowest all, and, O Lord, Thou hast searched us,
and known us. Thou art acquainted with all our ways. There
is not a word in our tongue, but lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it
altogether. Thou hast beset us behind and before, and laid
Thine hand upon us. Whither shall we go from Thy Spirit? or
whither shall we flee from Thy presence ?
If we say, "Surely the darkness shall cover us," even the
night is light about as. The darkness hideth not from Thee,
but the night shineth as the day. The darkness and the light
are both alike to Thee.

THE FALL.

There is no cloak for sin. We are driven by necessity to
acknowledge and confess that we have sinned. We would be
drawn by Thy goodness to repentance. Let Thy voice, calling
to us, be heard by us. Let us come out of our hiding-places.
Let us come to the light.
We will arise and come to Thee our Father, and we will say
unto Thee, Father, we have sinned against Thee, and are no
more worthy to be called Thy children. We acknowledge our
iniquity; we are sorry for our sin. Deal not with us after our
sins. Reward us not according to our iniquities. We have
sinned, but Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the
Gospel. For His sake forgive us all our sins, and save our souls
from death.
And Thou dost intend to redeem us and all from the curse.
We shall not always do wrong, nor always be suffering wrong.
And whosoever liveth and believeth in Him shall never die.
Most holy and most merciful God, who hast given Thine only
begotten Son to be a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only, but for the sins of the whole world, we pray that none may
perish, but all come to everlasting life through Jesus Christ out
Lord. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. Amen.

r. ".
-Ar i

EMMAUS.

ir

--=

-==

I-c- --_- -~ _;-- --_-
---
-------I

.~ .

; ; ~;=~=~~
..--~ --------i;_~l;;

:F.":~C;~~
-I I~
~-T~
r: -- L~;
ii ::
-- r
I'-

;
i..---;- -~~"~ bT
~~c -.- I~
rJ

.7- LORDI S DA iY

7. tr L arb's P ag

s' 5- e is the ... r the Lord hat/ made,
S He ...'s the hours His own;
Let heaven rejoice, let carth be glad,
S And ..... surround the throne.
. -*
STo-day He rose and left the dead,
And Satan's empire fell;
i To-day the saints His triumfpts spread,
A And all His wonders tell.
S Hosannak to th' anointed King,
To David's holy Son !
L.-: us, 0 Lord! descend and bring
Salvation from Thy throne.
Blest be the Lord, who comes to men
With :lSs..,s of grace;
Who comes, in God His Father's name,
To save our sinful race.
Hosannak in the highest strains
The Churchk -. earth can raise;
The i. ,".'s. heavens in whick He reigns
Shall ,..'*: Him nobler praise.

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

- -:_--._-- 'I -

:--=f ,'-5
{ -.-.._-:.

MATT. xxviii. LUKE xxiv.

S OW after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the
first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary went to. look at the tomb. And lo,
there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the
Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled
Saway the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes
white as snow. And from fear of Him the keepers
trembled, and became as dead men.
S And the angel said to the women, "Be not
afraid; for I know that you are seeking the crucified Jesus.
He is not here; for He rose, as He said.. Come, see the place

low

THE LORD'S DA Y

where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples
that He is risen from the dead; and behold, He goeth before
you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him; lo, I have told you."
But as they were going to make it known to His disciples, lo,
Jesus also met them, and said, "Hail to you!" And they,
coming near, seized His feet, and bowed down before Him.

Then Jesus said to them, Be not afraid. Go away; tell my
brethren to go to Galilee, and they will see me there."
And behold, two disciples were walking that same day to a
village called Emmaus. And they talked together of all the
things which had happened. And it came to pass, that while
they talked together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near,
and went with them. But they did not know Him.

46 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

And He said to them, "What are you talking together about,
as you walk ?" And they stood still and were sad. And one
of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said to Him,
"Art Thou alone such a stranger in Jerusalem as to be ignorant
of these things ?" And He said to them, "What things ?"
And they said unto Him, "About Jesus of Nazareth, who was
a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the
people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him
to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we hoped
that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel; and,
beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were
done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us
astonished, who were early at the tomb; and when they found
not His body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a
vision of angels, who said that He was alive. And some of
those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it as the
women had said; but Him they saw not."
And He said to them, fools, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets spake: ought not the Christ to have
suffered these things, and to enter into His glory ?" And
beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he showed them in
all the Scriptures the things about Himself.
And they drew nigh to the village, where they were going:
and He made as though He would go further. And they
persuaded Him, saying, "Abide with us; for it is toward even-
ing, and the day is now ending." And He went in to stop with
them. And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, he
took the bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him, and He
iranished out of their sight,

THE LORD'S DA Y: 47

;' "". ,_-- -.., :,: 1::- .

S HOU, 0 our God, didst make the first day by
S bringing light out of darkness; and Thou didst
bring again from the dead our Lord and Saviour
S Jesus Christ, and made this the Lord's Day. Thou
hast given us this day, give us Thy Spirit, that we
may be in the Spirit on the Lord's Day.
S We have put away our work out of our hands,
"i do Thou put away out of our hearts and minds the
v- thoughts and feelings we have had during the six
days of the week. We cannot make a Sabbath.
We cannot rest from our labours. Thou must
bring Thy light. Thou must give us Thy rest and Thy peace.
Our souls are soiled. We are not fit to go to Thy House.
We are not ready to receive Christ. Wash us, and we shall be
clean. Cleanse us, and we shall be whiter than snow. Bring
Thy best robe and put it on us. Thou hast invited us to come
to Thee, and hast provided garments; we would all get ready.
And Thou hast not left us to come to Thee by ourselves.
Thou hast sent Thy Son to bring us to Thee, and, behold, now,
He stands at our door and knocks. We would open the door,
and go with Him. We would follow where He leads. We
know He would keep with us, we would keep with Him.
As Christ draws near to us, let not our eyes be holden so that
we shall not know Him. As He talks with us, telling us the

48 CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

meaning of the Bible, may our hearts burn within us. As we
eat and drink, may He come and eat and drink with us. As
the day closes may we constrain Him to abide with us.
We leave our home for Thy House, we come with our people
to Thy people; may we, for awhile, forget our home and our
people, as we think of Thee and Thine. The rich and the poor
meet together, and Thou art the Father of them all. All can
come to Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord, and no one who
comes to Thee through Him is cast out.
We would pray together, we would make a common confession
of our sins. We would offer .common prayer. We would sing
with the great congregation as with one voice. Pour out upon
all the spirit of worship. We would listen to Thy word. Touch
the hearts and open the mouths of all Thy ministers. Touch
the hearts and open the ears of all Thy people. May none of
us be forgetful hearers. May all of us be happy enough to do
the things that we know to be right.
May we and all remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Let Thy peace which passeth all understanding possess and keep
all hearts and minds. Let the day be begun, and continued,
and ended in Thee, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. Amen.

-z .-~-;-s- -=-= -~-

--- .-*---- *-k

''"'I

I, ~ l
'Il ~I! II-*,'

II,

II

y *-

TIE VISIT OF THE WISE MEN.

50 CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

8. 94k Visit Jof fk M fEi AIM.

SS with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright:
So most gracious LORD, may we
Evermore be led to Thee.
As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger-bed;
There to bend the knee before
Him whom heaven and earth adore:
So may we, with willing feet,
Ever seek Thy mercy-seat.
As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare;
So may we with holy joy,
Pure, andfreefrom sin's alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
CHRIST, to Thee, our Heavenly KingI
Holy JESus every day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.
In the .:;'',.' 'r country bright
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its yoy, its Crown,--
Thou its Sun, which goes not down :
There for ever may we sing
Hallelujahs to our King.

THfE VISIT OF THE WISE MEN 51

4. '4.~~

'Strimpitn- Nvabilq.
MATT. ii. 1-23.

OW after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judma,
in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came
wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is He that is born King of the Jews ? for
we have seen His star in the east, and are come to
worship Him."
When Herod the king heard these things he was
troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gather-
Sing together all the chief priests and scribes of the
people, he enquired of them where the Christ should
be born. And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea: for
thus it is written by the prophet :-
E2

CHILDREN'S SER VICES

And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Art by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
For from thee shall go forth a Leader,
One that shall be the Shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Then Herod, having privately called the wise men, learnt from
them exactly the time of the star's appearing, and sending them
to Bethlehem, he said, Go and search diligently for the young
Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again.
that I may come and worship Him."
And when they heard the king they departed; and lo, the
star which they saw in the east went before them, until it came
and stood over where the young Child was. And seeing the
star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And coming into
the house, they saw the Child, with Mary His mother, and they
fell down and worshipped Him. And opening their treasures,
they presented to Him gifts-gold, and incense, and myrrh.

And, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they went back by another way to their own country.
Now when they were gone away, lo, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, "Arise, take the Child
and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and be there until I tell
thee; for Herod will seek the Child to destroy Him."

And he arose and took the young Child and His mother, and
went away to Egypt. And he was there until the death of
Herod; so that there was a fulfilment of what was spoken by
the Lord through the prophet, saying-

' Out of Egypt have I called my Son."

THE VISIT OF THE WISE MEVN 53

-. i

,,-__ ___ .-
S- 1 ."

the star, and Thou dost guide us by Thy Book.
We take Thy Word as a lamp to our feet and a
light to our path. We would walk in its light.
The earth, 0 Lord, is Thine, and the fulness
thereof; the world, and all who live in it. Let
Thy truth be made known upon earth. Let the
nations be glad and sing for joy; let all people
praise Thee.
We think. of all our friends. Some are very far from us
And as we think of them, we pray to Thee. Thou art every
And as we think of them, we pray to Thee. Thou art every-.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

where. Thou canst fill their minds with thoughts of Christ.
Thou canst stir their hearts to seek the Saviour. Thou canst
draw them to come from their sins. Have mercy upon them.
We think of the crowds in our great cities, of the multitudes
of men and women and children in our own land, and in other
countries. We would pray for all; for the rich and the poor,
the wise and the ignorant. We have all gone astray like lost
sheep. We have all alike sinned, and there is none. righteous,
no, not one. But Thou hast loved the world, and given Thine
only begotten Son; and Thou hast sent Him to seek and save
the lost. Let the time come when all shall know Thee.
O God, have mercy upon us, and help us. We would come
to Christ ourselves, and we would bring others to Him. Fill us
with faith, and with Thy Holy Spirit. 0 Lord, we believe,
help Thou our unbelief. Thou hast told us to pray for all, and
we come, and bow down, and pour out our hearts in prayer.
We thank Thee that Thou didst send Jesus Christ to tell us
that many shall come from the east and the west, from the north
and the south, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. And by Thy good hand upon
us, we shall at last reach the land that is very far off, and see
the King in His beauty. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. 4me.

CAIN AND ABEL. 55

9. Can ailb
UR evil actions spring
From small and hidden seeds;
At first we think some wicked thing,
Then practise wicked deeds.
Cain once, perhaps, might start
At what he soon would be:
But they who trust an evil heart
May prove as vile as he.
With many a fair pretence
It tempts us further on,
And hides the dreadful consequence,
Till life and hope are gone.
0 for a holy fear
Of every evil way,
That we may never venture near
The path that leads astray !

56 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

GEN. iV,

DAM and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. And
Abel was a keeper of sheep and goats, but Cain
was a tiller of the ground.

And at the end of the year it came to pass that
Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the
Lord, and Abel he also brought of the first-born of his flock,
and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had regard to Abel and
his sacrifice. But to Cain and his offering He had not regard.
And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
And the Lord said unto Cain, "Why art thou angry, and why
is thy countenance fallen ? If thou doest well wilt thou not find
acceptance ? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door,
and to' thee is its desire ; but thou shalt rule over it."
And Cain talked with Abel his brother. And it came to pass
when they were in the field, that Cain rose against Abel his
brother, and slew him.
And the Lord said unto Cain, "Where is Abel thy brother ?"
And he said, "I know not; am I my brother's keeper?" And
God said, "What hast thou done ? The voice of thy brother's
blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now cursed be
thou away from the land, which hath opened her mouth to

CAIN AND ABEL.

receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; and when thou tillest
the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength.
A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth."
And Cain said unto the Lord, "My punishment is greater
than I can bear. Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day
from the face of the earth; and from Thy face shall I be hid;
and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it
shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me."
And the Lord said unto him, "Therefore whosoever slayeth
Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold."
And the Lord gave a sign to Cain, lest any finding him should
kill him.

And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt
in the land of Nod, in the east of Eden.

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

HOU God seest us. Thou, Thou only knowest
the hearts of the children of men. Thou seest not
as we see. Thou art a God at hand, and not afar
off. None can hide themselves in secret places,
that Thou shouldest not see them. Everything is
naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with
whom we have to do. There is no cloak for sin.
Our hearts condemn us; and Thou art greater
^ than our hearts, and knowest all things. If we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, Thou
art faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. If any man sin, we have one to speak
for us with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is
the peace-offering for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the
sins of the whole world.
O God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against Thee,
and we come to acknowledge our sin unto Thee. We will
confess our transgressions. We will not hide our iniquity. God
be merciful to us sinners. Jesus, Thou Son of David, have
mercy on us. We believe that Christ died for our sins according
to the Gospel. Our hearts are troubled, but we trust in Him;
and, as Thou, 0 our God, didst give Him for us, we trust in
Thee.
We pray for purity as well as pardon. Our hearts are evil

CAIN AND ABEL.

We are angry and passionate. We think unkind thoughts, and
we speak unkind words. 0 God, our heavenly Father, deliver
us from evil. Create within us a clean heart, 0 God; renew a
right spirit within us. We must be born again. Leave us not
to ourselves, and to the sins which easily beset us. Our eyes
are up to Thee. Our hearts cry out for Thee. In Thee alone
is our help found.
We would watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation.
Keep us from the first step in the downward road. Make us to
go in the way of Thy commandments. Hold up our goings in
Thy paths, that our footsteps slip not. Hold Thou us up, and
we shall be safe.
0 how happy are those whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered. Thou, 0 God, hast sent Jesus to bless
us all, by turning us from our iniquities. Let the good news of
pardon and purity be spread throughout the whole world. Thou
art able and willing to save to the uttermost all who come unto
Thee, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 0 our God,
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts; and let him return to Thee, and Thou wilt have mercy
upon him, and wilt abundantly pardon, for Christ's sake. A men.

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. Amizer

/
/ i* 1

', r ", ,'
*

r,
i'

i

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTYST

o10. Stf. &a u fIl saptisi.

N Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Announces that the LORD is nigh;
Awake, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings.

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
Make straight the way for GOD within;
Prepare we in our hearts a home,
Where such a mighty Guest may come.
For Thou art our Salvation, LORD,
Our Refuge, and our great Reward;
Without Thy grace we waste away,
Like flowers that wither and decay.

All praise, Eternal SoN, to Thee
Whose Advent doth Thy people free;
Whom with the FATHER we adore,
And HOLY GHOST for evermore. A filn.

-- I' -"

...II-_,-, -. '

CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

MATT. iii. JOHN i.
OW in those days cometh John the Baptist, preach-
ing in the wilderness of Judma, saying, Repent ye:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST.

For this is He who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah,
saying,-
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And the crooked shall be made straight,
And the rough places shall be made smooth;
And all shall see the salvation of God."

And John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a
leather girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and
wild honey.
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all
the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in
Jordan, confessing their sins. And seeing many of the Pharisees
and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 0 brood
of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance. And think not
to say with yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father;' for
I say unto you, that God is able from these stories to raise up
children to Abraham.
"And even now the axe is laid unto the root of the trees;
therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is cut
down and cast into the fire.
"I indeed baptize you with water for repentance, but He who
comes after me is mightier than I; I am not fit to bear His
sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with
fire.
"His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly

64 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

cleanse His threshing-floor, and will gather His wheat into the
granary, but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire."
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to
be baptized of him. But John would have hindered him, saying,
"I have need to be baptized by Thee, and comest Thou to me ?"
But Jesus answering, said unto him, "Suffer it to be so now,
for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." Then he
suffered Him.

And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up from the water
and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove, and coming upon him;
and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased."
And Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age when
beginning His ministry.
,I -._- : -',;

ST JOH1V 2HE BAPTIST

OST merciful God, Thou wouldst have none to
perish, Thou wouldst that all should turn from
Their wickedness, and live. Thou didst send thy
servant John to preach repentance, and to prepare
the people for the coming of Christ. And thou art
Still speaking to us and to all. Thy voice is to be
heard in all places and at all times.
We do wrong, and our consciences'accuse us.
SWe fail to do right, and we suffer. Thou art not
mocked. We reap what we sow. We sow to the
flesh, and of the flesh reap corruption. We are
selfish, and lose the love of others. We are 'disobedient, and
become unhappy. We are idle, and suffer harm.
We pray that we may consider our ways, and turn unto Thee.
We are Thy children, and Thou dost chasten us. We are to be
holy, as Thou art holy, and Thou dost chasten us for our profit,
that we might be partakers of Thy holiness. We would cease to
do evil, we would learn to do well. We would return unto Thee,
and Thou wilt return unto us.
Grant unto us true repentance. Give us sorrow after a godly
sort. Let us hate sin, and abhor evil. When we are tempted,
let us cry out, How can I do this great wickedness and sin
against God !" If sinners entice us, let us not consent. Let us
watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation.

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

Bring us to Christ. Through Him we have the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of Thy grace. With penitent,
broken hearts, may we confess all our sins, that they may be
pardoned. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken
and a contrite heart, 0 God, Thou wilt not despise. Behold,
thou desirest truth in the inward parts Purge us, and we shall
be clean. Wash us, and we shall be whiter than snow. Hide
Thy face from our sins, and blot out all our iniquities. Cast us
not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit
from us. Restore unto us the joy of Thy salvation.
All have sinned. The whole world has erred, and strayed
from Thy ways like lost sheep. Pour out upon all the spirit of
prayer. Give to every one the grace of repentance. Thou dost
not willingly afflict, and grieve the children of men; let them
hear Thy warnings, and turn to Thee with full purpose of heart.
Thou hast laid upon Christ the iniquity of us all, and the blood
of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin; let us all arise and come
to Thee. .Let Thy goodness to all lead all to repentance. So
shall our Saviour see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied ;
and there shall be joy in the presence of the angels, over
returning and repenting men. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. Amen,

IHE DEATH OF A CHILD.

WHY should our tears in sorrow flow,
When GOD recalls His ownz
A nd bids them leave a world of woe
For an immortal crown ?

Is not een death a gain to those
Whose life to GoD was given?
Gladly to earth their eyes they close,
To open them in heaven.

Their toils are past: their work is done;
And they are fully blest:
They fought the fight, the victory won,
A nd entered into rest.

Then let our sorrows cease to flow,
GoD has recalled His own ;
But let our hearts, in every woe,
Still say, Thy will be done!"
F

68 CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

Ps. xxxix.

SAID, "Let me take heed to my ways,
that I offend not with my tongue :
let me keep my mouth as it were with a bridle,
while the ungodly is in my sight !"
SI held my tongue and spake not of my desire,
but it was pain and grief to me.
My heart was hot within me,
while I was musing the fire kindled;
at the last I spake with my tongue;
0 Lord, let me know mine end,
and the number of my days, how long I have to
live,
that I may know how frail I am !

Behold, Thou hast made my days as it were a span long,
and mine age is even as nothing before Thee:
verily, every man living is but a breath!
Man walketh as a vain shadow;
he disquieteth himself in vain:
he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them

And now, Lord, what is my hope?
truly my hope is even in Thee!
Deliver me from all mine offences,
make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.

T am become dumb, and open not my mouth:
for it is Thy doing!

IlE DEATH OF A CHILD. 69

Take Thy rod away from me,
I am even consumed by the blow of Thy hand!
When Thou with rebukes doth chasten man for sin,
and frettest away his beauty as a moth,
every man is but a breath !

Hear my prayer, 0 Lord, and give heed to my complaint,
hold not Thy peace at my tears !
For I am a stranger with thee,
and a sojourner, as all my fathers were;
Turn away Thy face from me that I may recover my gladness,
before I go hence and be no more seen !"

;~3~1 -;-~P::~i
(,i
I
~tTx~--~L~.~'~;=~~
'~'~ ( :-.I
.:I
;;2

2;C=I~

---~ -

70 CHILDREN'S SER ICES.

II/

From every nation, and tribe, and people, and tongue,

And they cry with a loud voice, saying,

The salvation be unto our God,
To Him who sits upn te t ad to te L "-

REV. vii. 9-17.
SAfter these Ihings I .sa a great multitude,
And no one was able to number it,
From every nation, and tribe, and people, and tongue,
Standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
Clothed in white,
nd palm branches in their hands.
And they cry with a lourd voice, saying,d
The salvation be unto our God,
To Him who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb,"
Neiw all the angels stood around the throne,
And the elders and the four Creatures,
And they fell before the throne on their faces,
And worshipped God, saying,
"Amen. The blessing, and glory, and wisdom,
And thanks, and honour, and power, and might,
Be unto our God, for ever and ever."
And one of the Elders addressed me, saying,
"These who are clothed in whice,
Who are they? and whence do they come?"

THE DEAIH OF A CHILD. 71

And I answered him,
"My Lord, thou knowest."
And he said to me,
"These are they that come from the great affliction,
And they cleansed their garments,
And made them white in the blood of the Lamb,
Therefore are they before the throne of God,
And serve Him day and night in His temple,
And He who sits upon the throne will dwell with them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
The sun will not smite them, nor any heat;
For the Lamb who is in the front of the throne will feed them,
And lead them to Life's fountains of waters;
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

CHILDREN'S SER VICES,

AN that is born of a woman is of few days, and
,y full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and
is cut down. He fleeth as a shadow, and continueth
Snot. All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness
thereof is as the flower. of the field: the grass
withereth and the flower fadeth ; because the spirit
of the Lord bloweth upon it. What is our life!
It is even as a vapour that appeareth for a little
time, and then vanisheth away.
O Thou who didst groan within Thyself as Thou
camest to the grave of him whom Thou lovedst;
who didst weep with Martha and Mary over the death of their
brother, we entreat Thee to come to us. We are so troubled
that we cannot speak. Thou hast suffered, being tried like us,
and Thou art able to succour us in this our great sorrow.
Thou wert born to die; Thou didst thyself take our flesh and
blood, that through death Thou mightest destroy him that had
the power of death, and deliver those who through fear of death
were all their lifetime subject to bondage. It is the Father's
will, that of all whom He has given Thee, Thou shouldst lose
none, but should raise them up at the last day.
Thou hast told us that of children is the kingdom of heaven.
Speak for us to the Father. Speak to us of Thyself. Tell us

THE DEATH OF A CHILD. 73

that Thou art the resurrection, and the life : and that he who
believeth in Thee, though he were dead, yet shall he Lve, and
that whosoever liveth and believeth in Thee shall never die.
0 Lord, our Saviour, to whom can we come but unto Thee ?
Thou hast the words of eternal life. We would know and
believe, and be persuaded that Thou art able to keep those
whom we have committed to Thee, against that day. Break the
silence of the grave by a voice from heaven. Lighten the
darkness of the valley of the shadow of death. We faint as we
look at the things which are seen, reveal to us things that are
unseen and eternal. We sorrow with the sorrow of earth, turn
our sorrow into the joy of heaven.
Let us look away from our empty home to the Father's
house, and to the place prepared by Thee for those who have
gone away. They will not return to us, but lead us and guide
us, and we shall go to them. We must needs die, and be as
water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.
0 Christ, have mercy upon us In the multitude of our thoughts
-within us, Thy words must comfort our souls. O, our Father,
Thou hast given, and Thou hast taken away, have mercy upon
us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father v. ho art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven,
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. Amen.

12. @ce Rkbv atiffn of Itaure.
HERE is a book, who runs may read,
Which heavenly truth imparts,
A nd all the lore its scholars need,
Pure eyes and Christian hearts.
The works of GOD, above, below,
Within us and around,
Are pages in that book to show,
How GOD Himself is found.
The glorious sky, embracing all,
Is like the Maker's love,
Wherewith encompassed great and sml:k
In peace and order move.
The moon above, the church below,
A wondrous race they run;
But all their radiance, all their glow,
Each borrows of its Sun.

The SAVZOUR lends the light and heat
That crown His holy hill;
The saints, like stars, around His seat
Perform their courses still.
Thou, Who hast given me eyes to see
And love this sight so fair,
Give me a heart to find out Thee,
And read Thee everywhere. Amen.

-^A

irj
Z;;;-,
t

6 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

-it

- -'-'- -. -- -- -

LORD, how manifold are thy works!

Wherein are all things creeping without number,

There isdom hat leviathan, whom Thou hast made
lThe earth is full of Thy riches.
So is this great and wide sea,
(Wherein are all things creeping without number,
Both small and great beasts.
There go the ships ;
O There is that leviathan, whom Thou hast made
to play therein,
These wait all upon thee;

ITE RE VELA IYON OF NA TURE. 77

That Thou mayest give them their food in due season.
That Thou givest them they gather:
Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good.
Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled:
Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their
dust.
Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created:
And Thou renewest the face of the earth.
The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever :
The Lord shall rejoice in His works.
He looketh on the earth, and it trembles:
He toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being
My speech shall be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth,
And let the wicked be no more.
Bless Thou the Lord, O my soul.
-Praise ye the Lord.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

HE heavens declare Thy glory, 0 God, and the
c -firmament showeth Thy handy work. One day
I 'f speaks to another, and one night telleth it to the
next. Their voice is not heard, but their sound is
f gone forth through all lands, and their words into
the ends of the world.
Thou hast not left thyself without witness. Thou
art in every place, and art always full of mercy.
Thou makest Thy sun to rise on the evil and on
the good; and Thou dost send Thy rain on the
just and on the unjust. Thou givest fruitful
seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
What can be known of Thee is seen in Thy works, for all
things that Thou hast made are full of Thy glory. In Thy light
we see light. Thy word is a lamp to our feet, and a light to
our path. Blessed are our eyes, for we see, and our ears, for we
hear, and our hearts, for we understand.
Many, 0 Lord our God, are Thy wonderful works which
Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward.
They cannot be reckoned up in order to Thee. If we would
Jeclare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
3 Lord, how manifold are thy works. In wisdom hast Thou
made them all.

THE REVELAI70N OF NATURE.

Thy righteousness is like the great mountains. Thy mercies
are new every morning, and fresh every evening, as the tides of
.the great and wide sea. Thou hast made the sun to give us
light by day, and the moon to give us light by night; but the
time will come when we shall live in the city that has no need
of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of
God does lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow
like a cedar in Lebanon. His root is spread out by the waters,
and Thy dews lie all night upon his branch. Thy blessings
come down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that
water the earth. Thou wilt be as the dew in the time of
drought. We would delight in Thy law, and in Thy law we
would meditate day and night; then we shall bring forth our
fruit in due season, and our leaf also will not wither. O Lord,
our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth. Wisdom
cries without, she calls to us, and her voice is to the sons of men.
We would hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Show
us Thy ways, 0 Lord. Lead us in thy truth, and teach us, for
Thou art the God of our salvation, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. A men.

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation,
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. A men,

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

-.. I,.,''

III

*~i 't- 4

.. 1

4 -

-Ak
r,-

01,r .11

13. f aaU.
HERE is an Ark, above
The reach of death and hell,
And yzsu's voice of love
Invites us there to dwell.
SAVIOUR, with joy Thy children come,
Be Thou onr Ark, our happy Home.
By GOD's own hand shut in,
May we in safety ride
O'er the deep floods of sin
That swell on every side:
A ndfind, while leaning on Thy breast,
A foretaste of eternal rest.

bC C

NOAH.

Guide us, 0 Holy Dove,
For we would follow Thee
To that bright world above,
Where sin and sorrow flee.
Give us the wings of faith to rise,
A nd make us meet for yonder skies.
Here it is sweet to be
The children of Thy love,
To serve and follow Thee :
But,-to be safe above,
AII sorrow fast, all sin forgiven,
Father, be this our joy in heaven. A men

Y.' ^ Smriphtu r S ing.
GEN. vi.-viii.

'(l..l God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and
Saphet.
And the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was

c~_-; '
i~rl
. ~~.1

c

8 CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

filled with violence. And God said to Noah, "The end of all
flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence
through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Make thee an ark of gopher wood, in cells shalt thou make
the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. For,
behold, I will bring a flood of water upon the earth to
destroy all flesh. But I establish my covenant with thee;
and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and
thy wife, and thy son's wives with thee. And of every living
being, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to
preserve them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
And take thou of all food that is eaten; and it shall be for
thyself, and for them." And Noah did according to all that
God commanded him.
And the Lord said to Noah, Come thou and all thy house
into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this
generation. For in seven days I shall cause it to rain upon the
earth forty days and forty nights." And the waters were upon
the earth a hundred and fifty days. And the ark floated along
upon the face of the waters. And all in whose nostrils was the
breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died.
And God remembered Noah. And God caused a wind to
pass over the earth; and the waters decreased. And the
ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. And Noah opened the
window, and sent out the raven, and it went to and fro, until the
waters were dried up. And he sent out the dove, but she found
no rest for the sole of her foot. And he waited seven days, and
sent out the dove again, and the dove came back to him in the
evening, and behold, in her mouth was a fresh olive leaf. And
he waited other seven days, and sent out the dove; and she
returned not again to him any more. And Noah removed the

NOAH. 83

covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the earth
was dry.
And God spoke to Noah, saying, Go out of the ark, thou and
thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee, and bring
out every living creature."

I--3~ -_

And Noah went out. And Noah built an altar to the Lord ;
and he took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and
offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled the
sweet odour, and the Lord said, "I will not again curse the
ground any more for man's sake; for the thought of man's
heart is evil from his youth ; neither will I again smite any more
everything living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth,
seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and
winter, and day and night shall not cease."

it
-- -.
J-

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

r a 1t er,
EHOLD, Thine eye, 0 Lord, is upon those who
fear Thee, upon those who hope in Thy mercy, and
Thou dost deliver their soul from death. Thy
longsuffering waited, in the days of Noah, while the
ark was preparing, but the heart of the old world
was fully set to do evil, and the flood came and
took them all away.
Woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with them,
I. for the reward of their hands shall be given them.
Thou hast appointed a day in which Thou wilt
judge the world, and we would remember Thee, in
the days of our youth, whilst the evil days come not, nor the
years draw nigh, when men say, we have no pleasure in them.
We would fear Thee, and keep Thy commandments, for Thou
wilt bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil. The end of all things
is at hand, we would be therefore sober and watch unto prayer.
By Thy word, the heavens were of old, and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water; so that the world that then
was, being overflowed with water, perished. The heavens and
the earth, which are now, by Thy word, are kept in store,
reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and destruction

NOAH.

of ungodly men. And Thou art sparing us, renewing our lives,
day by day; for Thou art long-suffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what
manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and
godliness. Seeing that we look for such things, let us be
diligent, that we may be found of Thee in peace, without spot,
and blameless.
We would come out, and be separate, and not touch any
unclean thing; and Thou wilt receive us, and wilt be a Father to
us, and we shall be Thy sons and daughters. Thou dost give to
us Thy Holy Spirit, to strive with us, let' us not grieve Thy
Spirit. Let us not forget Thy law. Let our hearts keep Thy
commandments. Let not mercy and truth forsake us. Where-
-withal shall the young cleanse their way, but by taking heed to
Thy word.
And Thou wilt deliver us and save us, for we put our trust in
Thee. Leave us not, neither forsake us, Thou God of our
salvation. Hear us, when we call upon Thee. Have mercy
upon us, and answer our prayer. 0 Lord our God, in Thee do
we trust; save and deliver us through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not give us up to temptation.
But deliver us from what is evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever. Am? ,

CANA.

THE MARRIAGE AT CAArA.

S Whe- "deigi_-d in Ca-a's -ha -
ir ..- /

-. > .,, .

:I |I:.'lf ;0' 0 W welcome was t/ie call
, I An Id sweet th/c fesrtal lay,
SI''ili L. WVhcn rEsUs deigned in .Cna's lirn!l
v. '.-* To bless the mIarriage day.
A And happy was the bride,
Si' And glad the bridegroom's heart,
') For He Who tarried at their side'
Bade grief and ill depart.
S His gracious power divine
\ The water vessels knew ;
Andplenteous was the mystic win'e
The wondering servants drew.
O LORD of life and love,
Come Thou again to-day ;
And bring a blessing from above
That ne'er shall pass away.
Oh, bless, as erst of old,
The bridegroom and the bride;
Bless with the holier stream that fowea
Forth from Thy pierced Side.
Before Thine A Itar-throne
This mercy we implore
As Thou dost knit them, LonR, in one,
So bless them evermore. A nen.

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

S
( JOHN ii.
^ M iNkD the third day there was a marriage in Cana of
SGalilee; and the mother of Jesus was there. And
Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the
( K marriage. And when the wine for the feast fell
short, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, "They
h ave no more wine." Jesus saith unto her, Woman,
what have I to do with thee ? mine hour is not yet
come." His mother saith unto the servants, What-
S soever He saith unto you do it."
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone,
after the manner of the washing of the Jews, holding two or
three firkins each. Jesus saith to them, "Fill the waterpots

I01111
s'YllfiA.

THE MARRIAGE AT CANA. 89

with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He
saith to them, "Draw out now, and carry to the master of the
feast." And they carried it.
But when the master of the feast tasted the water now become
wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants who had
drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the
bridegroom, and saith to him, Every man setteth on the good
wine first; and when men have drunk, then that which is worse;
but thou hast kept the good wine until now."
This beginning of His miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee,
and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

VIRGINS, FROM THE MARRIAGE OF JACOB AND RACHEL.

CHILDREN'S SER VICES.

.,, '. ,
.--- -- --. " I', .,- "

S. .-- ..- -.. .

HOU, O0 God, art the God of marriage. Thou
c' didst not make man to be alone. Thou didst make
\'T, him a help meet for him. The 1.1. ;n1 Thou didst
bestow upon our first parents in Paradise, Thou
dost still give to us. We look for love, and,
through Thee, we find it. Thou art love. Thou
dost shed abroad Thy love in our hearts. Thou
dost set our affections upon others, and Thou dost
set their affections on us. All things are of Thee,
and for Thee. Thou art the Father of light, with
whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and cometh down from Thee.
We acknowledge, in this day in which we rejoice and are glad,
a day which Thou hast made. The greatest earthly boon has
fallen to our lot. Thou hast done great things for us. We lift
up our hearts in adoration and praise. We acknowledge Thine
authority, as well as Thy goodness. Thou dost claim our
obedience as well as our gratitude. Let the marriage be begun,
and continued, and ended in Thy fear. Let the husband and
wife walk together in all Thy commandments and ordinances,
blameless. A marriage without Thee, is a marriage without
hope. Except Thou dost build the home, they labour in vain
who build it.
0 God, Thou art no respecter of persons ; for every one who